


Better for Eachother

by SummerRaine14



Series: Future Bughead [4]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Getting Back Together, Hurt/Comfort, Years Later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-20 13:28:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14895461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerRaine14/pseuds/SummerRaine14
Summary: A year after Jughead moved to NY with Archie, Betty shows up on his doorstep asking for a second chance





	Better for Eachother

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shrugheadjonesthethird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shrugheadjonesthethird/gifts).



> I know I promised my fics would be updated and I am so sorry for not having them done, life is crazy. Stronger Than Me is finished and I swear I will work on having it updated with in the next week. 4 chapters left and still lots of story to tell!!
> 
> Until then, please enjoy this!

 

 

Jughead stood against his motorcycle, lightly holding a cigarette between his lips as he listened to his friend Archie ramble on about anything and everything. The only problem was- Archie’s ‘anything’ and ‘everything’ was far less important than Jughead’s. Archie was a young man who just started his first year of college on a football scholarship, with his biggest problem being which of the campus’ dancers he was going to bring back to his dorm this week. Besides that, the only problem in the life of Archie Andrews was whether or not he could get his two best friends to see themselves clearly and fix what their problems were. 

 

Of course, Jughead didn’t know this until the words, “So have you talked to Betty lately?” came out of Archie’s mouth. Jughead looked up at Archie and sighed, tossing his cigarette on the ground and stomping on it to put of the smoke. The look on his face was enough for Archie to come up with an answer, “It makes me sad man. You and Betty used to love each other so much and now when I bring up one of you to the other all I get is grunts and angry looks.” 

 

“You know Arch, sometimes people just don’t make it past high school.” Jughead got on his bike and looked at his friend one last time, “leave it alone from now on, yeah?” With that, Jughead put on his helmet and revved the engine before driving away from the college campus. 

 

\--

 

Jughead sat in the Old Haunt bar of New York as he nursed a beer and listened to the music playing- though the music wasn’t his first thought. As he looked around and saw a group of four friends sitting at a boothe he was reminded of a much simpler time. Back in high school when childhood friends, himself, Archie, Betty and Veronica would sit in a boothe at Pop’s and talk about their hopes and dreams. Veronica wanted to live in the city- she heard stories of when her parents lived in New York before her mom got pregnant and had to move back to the small hometown. Archie just wanted to be a pro football player and he quotes ‘get all the chicks’, while when Betty and Jughead were asked- all they saw in their future was a small apartment upstate where Betty would come home after a long day at the New York Times and Jughead would type away at his novel in progress. Thinking about the plans they made back then, Jughead was happy for his friends. Veronica and her boyfriend Sweet Pea had moved to New York only a month after graduation, affording a penthouse suite and Sweet Pea worked at an art gallery while Veronica was a fashion designer. Archie, as hoped, was in school for football and very well was ‘getting all the chicks.’ But when his mind wandered to Betty, Jughead couldn’t even remember what her job was. He knew that before they split up she had changed her mind on the Times, but he had no idea what it was she was doing now. The last he heard, Betty was still in Riverdale and hadn’t been able to chase her dreams. And then there was Jughead, as he sat in the dark bar and remembered some of the best times of his life, he realized exactly why they were the very best.

 

It wasn’t because he was in high school and had no responsibilities, or because Pop always gave him food on the house (though that was a plus). But the truth was, they were the best times of his life because Betty was by his side and as he looked at his life now- none of his dreams had come true because she wasn’t there with him. Betty had always been Jughead’s one and only dream. 

 

Jughead paid for his drink and got up to leave the bar, allowing himself to relax under the cold September air as he walked the streets of New York. If there was one thing he loved about the city- it was the freedom. Sure, the streets were crowded with people rushing to get places and cars honking at each other as they ran through red lights. But there was something so calming about the sky above and just how big the city felt sometimes. He was turning onto the familiar road leading to his apartment when someone that he didn’t want to recognize stood on the front steps. 

 

Her long blonde waves let down as they hung over her shoulders were unmistakable and the way she held her head down looking towards the ground was an action he’d seen her repeat more than once. As Jughead walked closer all he could do was stare- trying to make sure that this really was who he was seeing. When she looked up at the sound of his footsteps, he had never been more positive about something in his entire life. This was Betty Cooper sitting on the doorsteps of his apartment and he wasn’t sure whether to allow himself to fill with hope or get stuck in his own head and wonder what she was here for. 

 

“I called Archie.” It stung Jughead, to hear the first words from her mouth after so many years of course result back to Archie. It was one the biggest problems in their relationship- Archie Andrews. He was after all the perfect boy next door and dream match for Betty Cooper, the ever so perfect girl next door. “I wanted him to prepare you for me coming to the city, but by the look on your face, I’m guessing he didn’t.”  _ Shit.  _ Jughead thought, that must have been why he brought her up earlier. And of course being the asshole he was, he rode off on his bike without hearing Archie out. 

 

“No we uh- got into a bit of a spat earlier.” Jughead chuckled dryly, Jughead clears his throat and tries to remain collected. “You look good, Betts.” 

 

For the first time in those few minutes that felt like they dragged on for hours, Jughead saw Betty smile. “You do too Jug, you really do.” She wasn’t lying either, the way his body had grown to show his muscles and how his eyes looked much less tired now than they did in high school. Betty, in every way looked almost exactly the same. But Jughead..he looked  _ different.  _ “You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here,” Betty laughed, clenching her hands into fists as she always used to do and causing Jughead to walk forward and grab her hands so she couldn’t. “I miss you Juggie,” she breathed, “I feel so stuck in Riverdale and I know that I blamed the Serpents for splitting us up but it wasn’t Jug, it wasn’t.” Betty was rambling now but she couldn’t bring herself to care, “I love you so much it terrified me-” Betty was cut off by the smile on Jughead’s face, “what?”

 

“You said love. Not loved but love.” His smile only grew wider as he said the words, “you still love me, Cooper?” 

 

“Everything was such a mess back then, Jug. We were a mess.” Betty held onto Jughead’s hand tighter, “we weren’t right for each other back then, but if you’ll have me, I want to be able to prove that we can be better this time.” 

 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say those words,” all it took was the hopeful smile on Betty’s face for Jughead to lean forward and seal their reunion with a sweet kiss.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I know most of my future Bughead one shots have been about getting back together, but I promise I have different ideas coming soon. 
> 
>  
> 
> Comments always appreciated!! <3


End file.
